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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30017655">The Simple Things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWield/pseuds/SilverWield'>SilverWield</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Valentine's Day/White Day [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, On The Way To A Smile: Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Childhood Friends to Lovers, Domestic Cloti, Dorks in Love, F/M, Mutual Pining, POST AC, Teenage Dorks, White Day, wholesome fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:20:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30017655</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWield/pseuds/SilverWield</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Can Cloud pluck up the courage to give Tifa a gift for White Day?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart, Cloud/Tifa, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Tifa/Cloud</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Valentine's Day/White Day [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2208198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Simple Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Companion piece to the Valentine's Day story.<br/>Thanks for reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cloud stared at the box of brightly coloured macaroons sitting in the centre of his bed like they'd insulted his burgeoning manhood. <em>This is dumb.</em> The plain black comforter contrasted starkly with the glossy red paper and white ribbon he'd bought. <em>This is so damn dumb. </em>His fingers itched to throw the whole lot in the bin, but he'd spent weeks doing odd jobs around the neighbourhood to afford this gift and he'd be damned if he'd waste good money just because he was a coward.</p><p>“Shit.” He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair, tugging the ponytail at the back from habit. “Shit.”</p><p>“Cloud! What have I told you about bad language?”</p><p>Cloud turned his head as the door to his bedroom began opening and his mother's profile appeared in the gap. He ran to the door and pushed against it. “Mom!” Cheeks burning with embarrassment, he hoped she hadn't seen anything. “Sorry! Sorry! Don't come in, okay?!”</p><p>“Cloud?” The motherly concern in Claudia Strife's tone was clear, but she eased up on trying to enter. “What's wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing! Jeeze!” With all the petulance his fourteen year old self had, Cloud stuck his bottom lip out and shoved the door closed until the latch clicked into place again. “It's—I'm fine, okay?!”</p><p>Though muffled, Claudia sounded upset as she replied, “Oh, okay. I've got to work late tonight, so I'll leave your dinner under a cover. Make sure you eat, okay?”</p><p>“Okay!” Cloud replied, remembering to add a belated, “Thanks!”</p><p>The sound of Claudia's footsteps faded as she retreated, and Cloud sighed with relief. “Goddamn it.” He eyed the box once more. “It's all your fault,” he accused, wishing yet again that he'd never bought them. Tifa loved macaroons, especially the exotic flavours that only came in stock once in a blue moon. Cloud was lucky to get his hands on them, but beyond that, he had no idea how to give them to her without it seeming as though he had <em>intentions </em>just like every other boy who ever laid eyes on her. Tifa was ridiculously pretty, and nice, and kind, with a smile that lit up rooms and eyes brighter than rubies. Cloud would bet he wasn't the only boy trying to give her a gift for the holiday, but he knew he was the last one she'd accept anything from. After the way he let her down when she fell from Mt Nibel—the way her father looked at him while she lay limp in his arms—Cloud just knew she wouldn't take anything he offered her, and he had no right to even try. <em>I'll become good enough. Just wait, Tifa. You'll see. </em>He clenched his fist.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Cloud!” Tifa waved from across the street where she stood with her friends.</p><p>Cloud raised a hesitant hand in return, though his eyes slid to his backpack. Buried deep inside it, as though the further he had to reach the less likely he was to try, lay the box of macaroons he'd bought for Tifa. He watched as she checked the street for oncoming traffic, though at this time of day there were few carriages or chocobo riders, and the only car in town was a rusted out heap near Nibelheim's gates. Cloud hid a smile at how careful Tifa was. Her hair was loose and blew about in the chilly wind, whipping around like it was alive. Her cheeks were rosy from standing outside, and he wondered just how long she'd been hanging around for. <em>Why? </em>He glanced around for her usual group of tag-alongs, but apart from the two girls she'd been chatting with, there wasn't anyone else.</p><p>“Hey, Cloud!” Breathless, Tifa still repeated her greeting. “Cold today, huh?”</p><p>“Uh...yeah,” Cloud replied, feeling like an idiot for never having the right words.</p><p>“You wanna walk to school together?” She gestured to her friends, adding, “They're gonna wait for Dan and Mayday.” Leaning closer and cupping a hand around her mouth, Tifa said in a conspiratorial voice, “They're hoping for a gift for White Day.” She leaned away again, linked her hands behind her back and smiled at him. “Isn't that the cutest?”</p><p>“Uhh...” Cloud scratched the back of his head, at a loss how to reply. He didn't care who those girls liked, and he sure as hell didn't care if those two idiots she hung around with gave chocolates to someone else. <em>No. Wait. </em>Cloud frowned. <em>If those guys like some other girls, then... </em>His gaze went to Tifa, calculating that his competition for her attention had reduced by two. His heart thudded hard, and he pictured himself giving Tifa the box of macaroons. The hand gripping his rucksack grew clammy as he slipped it from his shoulder.</p><p>Tifa tilted her head. “You okay?”</p><p>“Yeah.” It felt like an alien being delved their hand into his bag to find the gift. <em>Why'd I bury it so damn deep? </em>He felt detached from his actions, not that it stopped a nervous sweat beading his brow and making his shirt stick to his back. <em>Just once let me be cool! </em>His fingers closed round the edge of the box, then struggled to withdraw it as it became tangled on some other shit he jammed in there in case he got the stupid impulse to actually give Tifa the thing. “Goddamn it!”</p><p>“Cloud?!” Tifa stepped closer and put her hand on his forearm. “You sure you're okay? You look really pale.”</p><p>“Uh—Yeah—Just wanna get this—sonofabitch!” He pulled on the box with force and staggered.</p><p>“Cloud!” Tifa followed and grabbed hold of him as he lost his footing on a patch of ice. “Careful!”</p><p>Finding his balance, Cloud sighed and rubbed the back of his neck to disperse the heat prickling there. “T-thanks.”</p><p>“No biggie.” Tifa smiled.</p><p>“H-here.” Cloud shoved the box into her hands and dashed past her before ultimate regret made him snatch it back.</p><p>“Huh? Cloud?” Tifa turned. “What's this for?”</p><p>“White Day!” Cloud waved without looking, unable to bear the thought of seeing disappointment on her face. He pretended it didn't matter what she did with the cakes, but it was an impossible task fooling himself.</p><p> </p><p>~*~*~</p><p> </p><p>Cloud stared through the bakery window. His footsteps had slowed of their own accord and it wasn't until he was looking at the brightly decorated display that he realised what caught his eye. Macaroons. Multicoloured ones like the type he'd pressed upon Tifa back when they were kids. He scoffed under his breath at how big a fool he made of himself that day. He'd never even asked her about it later, and it wasn't too long after that day that he'd left for Midgar. <em>Did she eat them? </em>He assumed she had; they were cakes, after all. What girl would throw away a perfectly good confectionary? More to the point, she'd never asked him what they meant. Had Tifa been that popular that it didn't even cross her mind she wouldn't get a ton of gifts from boys? Chuckling ruefully, Cloud knew that statement was both true and false. Tifa was popular, but she never expected anyone to shower her with presents.</p><p>Without stopping to think it through, Cloud stepped through the door to the bakery and greeted the vendor. “Box of macaroons, please.”</p><p> </p><p>“What's the occasion?” Tifa teased the edge of the pretty white ribbon holding the gift box closed as she stared at Cloud with a surprised, but pleased smile on her face.</p><p>Cloud shrugged and tried not to fidget like a school boy with a crush. He'd been dating Tifa for years, getting her something for White Day was only fair since she got him something for Lovers Day just gone by. “Saw it, thought of you,” he said, keeping the explanation as short as possible.</p><p>Tifa ducked her head and giggled as a blush stained her cheeks a pretty shade of pink. “That's so thoughtful of you. Thank you.”</p><p>Cloud shrugged again, assuming Tifa forgot what the date was. She'd done the same with Lovers Day. <em>Is that something I should keep an eye on? </em>She'd been sleepier lately, too, nodding off while they watched movies after the kids went to bed or growing drowsy while working on accounts. There was a bug going round, too, that Tifa assumed she'd caught. Random smells made her queasy, and she'd become a fussy eater because of it. “Maybe I should've got something different,” he said to her, trying not to grimace at how thoughtless he was, despite her saying otherwise.</p><p>“Don't be silly, this is great!” Tifa pulled on the ribbon and opened the box. “Oh!” She looked at him like he'd given her the moon. “These look just like the ones you gave me that time before!”</p><p>Though he couldn't admit it, he'd been quietly hoping Tifa would remember that occasion. Cloud's memory of his teenage embarrassment prickled the back of his neck and made his cheeks burn. “Uh, yeah,” he said, trying to run a casual hand through his hair. His fingers caught on the spiky strands and he winced as he tugged. “I'm surprised you remember that.”</p><p>Tifa stood up and came round the table to stand in front of him. “Of course I do.” She reached up, sliding her fingers through his hair to untwist the strands caught on his ring. She held his hand and smiled at him. “You looked sick as anything that morning. Were you okay?” Tilting her head to the side with concern, her eyes reflected a familiar warmth and care.</p><p>“Nervous,” Cloud admitted, swallowing. He hadn't thought what she recalled best as his awful execution at giving the gift, but again, a part of him revelled in the knowledge she'd been concerned about him.</p><p>“Huh? Why?”</p><p>Cloud chuckled low in his throat; he knew Tifa had no clue how he felt at the time. The same way he never realised the reason why she kept calling for him was because she liked him, too. He cupped her cheek with his free hand. “Who wouldn't be nervous in that situation?” When she still looked oblivious, Cloud couldn't resist drawing her into his arms. “Any guy would want you to accept their gift.”</p><p>Tifa's laughter was muffled in the crook of his neck as she slid her arm around his waist. “You always see rivals around every corner.”</p><p>Sighing, Cloud hugged her tight. “I know. Sorry.”</p><p>“It's okay.” Tifa leaned back and looked him in the eye. “Besides, I think I'm the one who has to watch out. Everywhere you go you pick up new fans.” She laughed and kissed his cheek. “I said you were too cute to be let out unsupervised,” she teased.</p><p>“As long as you're there to protect me, I think I'll be okay,” Cloud replied in a mock serious tone.</p><p>It was sort of true that wherever he went, he attracted attention. As someone who saved their planet twice, it came with the territory. Not that he liked the accidental fame or scores of women jamming scraps of paper with their numbers on them into his unwilling hands. The only time he got left alone was when Tifa came with him; anyone with eyes could see there was no competition when his girlfriend was the prettiest girl on Gaia.</p><p>“Sure thing!” Tifa replied in a bright voice. “For the right price,” she added, fluttering her eyelashes in faux innocence.</p><p>“How much?” Cloud shot back, tightening his hold around her waist and pulling her closer to him.</p><p>“Hmm...that depends on what you want me to do.” Though the line was spoken with a saucy intent, Tifa's cheeks turned pink and she lowered her eyes demurely.</p><p>Cloud's blood heated, and he smirked. “I have some ideas,” he said, glancing at the clock and seeing they had a couple of hours before school let out and Denzel and Marlene returned. “You look tired,” he added in a leading tone. “Need a break?”</p><p>With Cloud's hand still in hers, Tifa switched her grip so she could lead him towards the staircase. “Sounds good,” she whispered, pausing to scoop the box of cakes up on the way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For more wholesome dorks and pregnant Tifa, this series has that 😁<br/>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2209524</p></blockquote></div></div>
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